A Day Like Any Other
by monotask007
Summary: The story of one day. Chapter 3 is up, following Faye on her day like any other. Next chapter coming soon....read and review.
1. Chapter 1: Cut to the End

A Day Like Any Other  
  
Disclaimer: You know the deal, I don't own them and never will. Yet this doesn't stop me from writing, you lucky dogs. Author's Note: Let's just get on with it, you don't really need any of this silly author crap to enjoy the story. So just read, enjoy and review if you want.  
  
Chapter 1: Cut to the End  
  
Jet clamped a tight hand on the wall keeping himself from falling completely over, landing in a not so glamorous lump on the metal floor beneath him. He felt the blood trickled from the corner of his mouth catching on the wet hairs of his beard. He slowly lifted his other arm and wiped the cold metal hand down his face. He blinked his eyes hard against the growing pain in his head as his hand traveled down to his crimson stained and damp shirt. He grimaced as he brought his paint covered metal hand from his shirt and into his view.  
  
"Bark."  
  
"Huh?" Jet said slipping his gaze from his hand to his feet where Ein sat licking his own nose. "So you're back too. Any luck?" Ein cocked his head to the side and stared at Jet. "Well, you aren't in a ditch, that's a plus." Jet released his grip, placed it back on to the black pitchfork, and continued on. His slow pace echoed on in the hall from the hangar bay to the common room, the clunk of the pitchfork hitting along with his feet an added bonus. He put an arm behind his back cracking his aching muscles and joints as he walked. Ein trotted happily beside him, his tongue hanging and wagging wildly with every step.  
  
When Jet entered the common room, he stopped in mid step at the sight before him. His arms fell limp at his side and his head cocked to the side.  
  
Edward lay on the table, her body looking as if someone had just dropped her there. Her thin legs were up on her tomato, the screen glowing an eerie yellow through the slits of her limbs. Her right arm was thrown straight up beside her head hanging off the edge of the table, while the left was hanging off the edge straight off to her side. Her normally white t-shirt was splattered with splotches of brown as was her face. An empty waffle cone lay on the floor beneath her left hand.  
  
Faye Valentine lay sprawled out on the floor, snuggly fit between the ugly yellow sofa and the table. Her head seemed uncomfortably smashed on a small pillow that kept her face from the cold steel below her. Jet noticed the bruise on her eye, even though it was half hidden by the sunglasses that were now askew on her face. One bare foot was up on the sofa, while the other on the cold floor, her boots, Jet noticed with a smirk, were tossed across the room. A brown blanket lay over her torso down to her knees, her arms thrown up by her head. Jet rolled his eyes at the half- assed bandage job done to her left arm, wincing at the amount of wasted tape. The bandage ran from the middle of her upper arm down to the tips of her fingers, and the red marker smiley faces that covered it was a clear sign of who the doctor had been.  
  
Jet snickered as his gaze moved up on to the couch. Spike Spiegel lay half on his stomach, half on his side on top of the yellow sofa. His sock covered feet hung off the arm of the sofa, Faye's one bare foot stopped by his shin. Over his back, acting as a very crappy blanket, was Faye's red sweater. His face was uncomfortably smashed into the yellow vinyl of his "favorite seat", and an unlit cigarette hung from his slightly opened lips. Jet rolled his eyes again and snickered as his eyes landed on the bruise on Spike's face, and the large gash across his forehead, which was half covered by his tie which had been fashioned as a make-shift bandage. Spike's right arm seemed to be trapped under him, while his left hung loosely over the edge of the sofa, his fingers barely touching Faye's shoulder.  
  
"Bark."  
  
"Hush." Jet mumbled as he stepped fully into the common room, setting his lucky pitchfork against the wall. Ein followed on his heels and quickly passed him. Jet once again halted his steps as he watched Ein trot over to the sleeping trio. His eyes widened as the dog passed Ed, stepped over Faye's legs, and jumped up on to the sofa and onto Spike's back. The dog looked over at Jet before snuggling into the red sweater placed over Spike's shoulders and settling in for a nap. For a few minutes Jet just stood there staring at the odd spectacle before him. Then he let out a big yawn and began staggering towards the shower, stopping in front of the door.  
  
"Looks like I get first dibs---" Jet opened the door saying a silent prayer to whatever the hell was up there, and looked in to find the bathroom just as clean as he had left it earlier. "For this," He said as he looked up towards the ceiling. "I owe you one." Jet stepped into the room and stripped off his clothes, grimacing as his paint covered shirt stuck to his chest. He turned the water on and stepped into the steaming water with a grateful moan. His muscles ached and he leaned his head on the cold wall watching the small bit of blood from his mouth turn the water pink. He looked at his hand, and watched as the water cleaned his bleeding and swollen knuckles.  
  
Ok, so it hadn't been as good an idea as he thought, and apparently his crewmates found this out as well. Well, to hell with it. I guess even when you try something new, it turns out just the same as anything else.  
  
After finishing his shower Jet found some clean clothes, grabbed a beer, and staggered slowly into his bonsai room. His retreat. His place to sit and relax and just forget everything that was going on. He set the beer down and then sat down at the table, he put a hand to his throbbing jaw and rolled his eyes. 


	2. Chapter 2: Jet Black and the Bounty from...

A Day Like Any Other  
  
Chapter 2: Jet Black and the Bounty from Hell  
  
It was a good idea. Matter of fact, it was a damn good idea. Jet cracked a small smile as he piloted the Hammerhead into the dock on Ganymede. He docked, his body still loose and his mind still blissfully at ease, and stepped out of the ship. He smiled wider as he put a hand up to shield his eyes from the sharp sun overhead. He stepped off the dock and smiled as he brought out his comm. unit, the smile getting bigger with every passing second.  
  
No small, strange child hung from his arm as he lifted it, swinging and singing some made up song. No tiny, freakishly intelligent dog sat at his ankle looking up at him as though he were the dumbest being on the face of the planet. And best of all, no bickering could be heard from his two annoying crewmates, that in general were more trouble than they were worth.  
  
Yep, splitting up had been one hell of a great idea. Jet's smile widened as he looked over the data sheet on the bounty he was going after. Name: Satan Sal. Known offenses: burglary and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Defining Characteristics: red body suit, small devil horns, and a pitch fork. Yet again, unable to suppress the reaction, Jet's eyes widened and then rolled.  
  
"Damn, Ed, where do you find these guys." He mumbled the words as he watched the information scroll further until finally landing on the blinking green numbers of the price on his head. 75 Million Woolongs. "Well, the price is right." He smirked as he placed the unit back in his pocket.  
  
Before moving along Jet did a quick pat down over his loose fitting jacket; he couldn't help but feel like he was forgetting something. Cigarettes upper left. ID upper right. Gun middle left. Cigarettes middle right. Wallet lower right. He smiled as he began to walk off the dock, finishing his metal check list as he went. Handcuffs middle of his back. Gun at the left ankle. And joyfully no oatmeal in his right shoe. Don't ask. Jet exited the East dock with as much of a skip to his step as his demeanor would allow.  
  
** 2hrs later  
  
"Spike, handle it." Jet practically screamed into the comm. unit, pushing the blinking red light hard and sending Spike far away. He ran his cool metal hand over his face, breathing out a disgruntled sigh. Startled a bit by the silence that now surrounded him, Jet looked up and around the small family restaurant. All the patrons had stopped everything, some even in mid-bite, to look up and stare at him. His eyes locked on a small boy with unruly brown hair and noodles hanging from his mouth. Jet gave him a slow, and what he considered a friendly smile, to which the boys eyes widened and he inhaled the noodles so fast he nearly choked. Jet grimaced a bit as he placed his gaze back on the newspaper on the table before him. Satan Sal Strikes Again. Oh great. Wonder if this means the bounty is going to be raised? Jet began to skim the article but found himself lingering on the photo right under the headline. The picture was of a square shaped man, larger in more areas than he was small, dressed in a red body suit that really didn't help to flatter his figure. Little red devil horns sat on his head, surrounded by a dark kinky mop of hair. The best part, and the part that Jet just couldn't seem to believe, was the big black pitch fork he held up to the camera as he spray painted his trademark devil head on the camera.  
  
Where exactly did a guy get a pitchfork anyway? And for that matter how did a guy carrying a pitchfork stay so damn hidden in a city like this? Jet shrugged a bit and skimmed the article for the name of the last place he robbed. Athena Mutual, not far from this place. Jet folded the paper and put it under his arm as he stood up. He dropped a few Woolongs on the table to pay for his coffee and smiled at the still wide eyed boy as he passed.  
  
Beep.  
  
Jet winced as he stepped out of the restaurant, and pulled out his comm. unit. After a few seconds of the annoying little beep he finally pressed the blinking red button.  
  
"Jet!" Faye's wide eyed face was practically smashed into the screen.  
  
"What?" He snapped his eyes going to the two old women that passed him. He smiled.  
  
"I don't deserve this." Faye began. "I'm never going to catch anything with----" He disconnected Faye's rant and placed the comm. unit back in his pocket, and began to stroll down the block towards Athena Mutual.  
  
Even when they split up, they managed to complain to him about one thing or another. Well he wasn't going to handle it today, today was his day. He's been catching criminals longer than either of those two and for some damn reason every time they went after a bounty he always ended up staying on the ship. Well, not today, and if all went as planned, never again. He pushed through the glass doors of Athena Mutual and stepped in a large puddle of red paint.  
  
"Watch it, sir." Jet looked down and found a young man in a janitor uniform looking up at him. "We're trying to clean up so we can open," the man said.  
  
"Oh yeah?" Jet said staring at his now paint covered shoe.  
  
"Yeah considering the place was robbed," the young man said scratching under his nose. "Didn't you see it in the paper? Big deal. That Satan Sal he's a real dog, and no one can seem to find him."  
  
"I've heard." Jet mumbled. "Did you see the guy?"  
  
"Nope," the guy said shaking his head. "I was off. Too bad really, I hear it was quite the show. Pauly over there," the man pointed to another man in a painters uniform washing off a wall with a large painted devil head on it. "He was here. He said that Satan Sal was real pissed off, yelling and screaming about one thing or another."  
  
"No kidding?" Jet said as he began walking towards the other man.  
  
"You shouldn't be in here." The man named Pauly said as Jet approached.  
  
"That looks messy." Jet said pointing to the red devil head. Pauly merely raised an eyebrow at Jet and crossed his arms over his chest. "I hear you got a first hand look at Satan Sal?"  
  
"Yeah, crazy bastard." Pauly said uncrossing his arms. "You a bounty hunter?"  
  
Jet nodded. "You hear anything that might be of any use to me?"  
  
"Depends," Pauly said smirking.  
  
"Right." Jet nodded and smirked, while debating how to get the information. If Faye were here she would just charm it out of him, and probably get herself dinner in the meantime. If Spike were here he would just walk away, not really caring what the man had to say. Jet scratched his beard. What the hell would Jet do?  
  
"Look, I've got to get back to work, so---" Pauly began to turn.  
  
"Yeah, well, thanks anyway." Jet began to turn, thinking it probably wasn't worth it anyway.  
  
"You really here to catch him?" Pauly asked. Jet turned and nodded once. "Well, I may have heard something to help you." Jet didn't move, merely crossed his arms over his chest and waited. "Well it wasn't really heard so much as seen. I didn't tell the cops or show them 'cause I figured I'd maybe go after him. You know get some money for myself. But you seem like a better man for the job than me." Pauly moved his hands and began rummaging in his pockets, his eyes staring at Jet's metallic limb. "Here," Pauly shoved a crumpled receipt at Jet and did a quick look over to make sure no one was watching. "That fell out of his suit while he was here. Good luck." And with that Pauly turned back to the wall that he was cleaning.  
  
Jet stared at the crumpled paper in his hand for a minute, then looked back up at the cleaning Paully. Looks like Jet's thing is to just be patient. Jet rolled his eyes. Patience. Huh, who would have guessed he needed that living where he did? He suppressed the snicker and smoothed the small paper as he walked out of Athena Mutual.  
  
Jingo's Dry Cleaning Service. Jet halted his steps. It was a receipt for the dry cleaning of one red body suit, and the order was made out for Sal Toggers. Jet smirked at the receipt and walked over to the nearest phone booth to look up where Jingo's Dry Cleaning was. Looks, like Satan Sal had a real name, and impressively was worried about his suit looking good. Lucky breaks are absolutely fantastic. This case was pretty much in the bag. Jet ripped out the page containing the address for Jingo's which was a quick railway ride away, and also flipped to the page for T. He found about six Toggers, S. and decided to just rip the whole damn page and figure it out later.  
  
**3 hours later  
  
Jet banged his head off the counter as he leaned over, repeating the ritual every time the man he had discovered to be Jingo said the words "No Satan."  
  
"Look," Jet mumbled, his face smashed into the cold counter. He picked up his head and looked the short balding man in the eyes. "I'm not calling you a Satan worshipper. I don't give a damn what you worship."  
  
"No Satan," The man said shaking his head. "We run a good store here, you can't come in here and harass us like this. I'm calling the police."  
  
"No." Jet rolled his eyes as he straightened up. He'd been trying to get this man to understand for the past hour, after an hour ride due to the train de-railing and then waiting another hour for them to open back up after lunch. Jet was hungry and he was in no mood to deal with this. Patience was not working this time. Jet reached over the counter and pulled the small man up. "I just want to know where Satan Sal is."  
  
"No-" the man began shaking his head.  
  
"You say that one more time and I'm going to shove you in that hole over there." Jet said inclining his head to a very small laundry shoot beside Jingo. Jingo's mouth closed instantly. "I know he was here, and I know you know where I can find him." Jet brought the man closer. "Now you just check the damn computer and find out where Sal Toggers lives." Jet lowered the man to his feet and watched as the older man's eyes widened and then he smiled.  
  
"Toggers. I know that one, very funny." Jingo nodded as he typed into the computer. "Why didn't you say you wanted the Toggers?"  
  
Jet just stood there his mouth hanging open as he watched the thin old man type and smile. "I don't know." Jet said very slowly.  
  
"Toggers lives at 459 West Gregory." Jingo said, as he smiled at Jet. Jet stepped back from the counter and quickly exited the Jingo's Dry Cleaners. He wiped his hand over his face and began walking back towards the rail station. West Gregory was back over by Athena Mutual.  
  
"Watch out!" A man yelled and Jet spun around to watch a large ice cream cart skidding down the street. Jet jumped back out of the way of the out of control cart and caught a glimpse of a red devil head on the side of it.  
  
"No way." Jet said to himself as his eyes went back up to the top of the street where the cart had apparently come from. "Well, I'll be damned." Jet said as he began to run towards the large man in the red body suit brandishing a pitchfork. He smiled as he ran, completely oblivious to the chaos surrounding him and the random ice cream cones that now scattered the street.  
  
Jet reached the top of the street and came face to face with Satan Sal, both men just stopped.  
  
"Shit." Sal screeched and then smacked Jet in the face with the blunt end of the pitchfork as he turned to run. Jet tottered a bit and fell against the wall cursing at the blood that he pulled away from his lips. The sun was beginning to set now and Jet was off and running after the big red blob that was disappearing into the sunset.  
  
"Come back here! Stop!" Jet yelled, rolling his eyes at himself. How many times did yelling stop actually work?  
  
Satan Sal disappeared into a hotel and Jet entered not too long after him, just in time to finish watching the sun set. Jet stopped and caught his breath, his eyes darting about the hotel lobby looking for any sign of the man in red. It's just damn amazing how well a man with a fucking pitchfork can blend in. It was the scream that caught Jet's attention and had him spinning towards the stairwell. He ran and busted through the door his gun pulled out.  
  
"AHHH!" the woman on the stairs screamed as she came face to face with Jet's gun. Her fingers trembled as she brought them up to her face. Jet cocked his head to the side noting the large red smear of paint on her maid's uniform.  
  
"Where did he go?" Jet barked out as he ran up the few steps separating them. The woman pointed a shaking hand up the stairs and Jet zoomed past her. She then sat down on the stairs and cried as she rubbed at her shirt. Jet stopped as he rounded the bend to the next stairwell and saw the woman on the stairs.  
  
"You hurt?" He practically yelled down at the woman. He watched as she shook her sobbing head and he nodded and started up the next flight of stairs.  
  
Red paint dripped off the railing and Jet practically grinned as he followed his prey's trial. As he rounded the next sharp corner to head up the next flight of stairs he was hit in the chest with the blunt end of the pitchfork again and sent back down that flight of stairs. Jet landed hard on his ass, he yelled a few explicative phrases that even he's ashamed of and got back to his feet. Spike probably would have anticipated that. Hell, Faye probably would have shot the guy already. Jet let out a primal yell as he ran up the flight of stairs and onto the landing of the roof. He opened the steel door and found himself face to face with a can of spray paint.  
  
"Shit." Jet yelled, just as Satan Sal pushed down the button and sent a crimson spray all over the front of Jet. He could taste it in his mouth and feel it seep through his shirt and under to his skin. That's it! He raised his gun and smashed the butt of it into Sal's head, sending the man careening to the hard ground. Jet wiped a hand down his face and pulled away some of the red spray paint.  
  
"You hit me!" Satan Sal said as he tried to get to his feet, using the pitchfork for support.  
  
"You hit me first!" Jet yelled back putting his hand to his chin while pointing his gun at the downed man in red. "And you knocked me down a flight of stairs, and spray painted me."  
  
"But you hit me." Satan Sal repeated small tears glistening in the corners of his eyes. Jet stood utterly perplexed as the large man began to sob, his poofy, tangled mess of hair bobbing with his head. "You hit a woman!"  
  
"Woman?!" Jet voice almost cracked as he screamed the word at the quivering mass of red on the floor.  
  
"Yes, woman!" Sal yelled back, though his face was covered by his hands now, the pitchfork lay forgotten on the ground. Jet took a step forward.  
  
"You're a woman?" Jet inquired leaning down low as he practically whispered it.  
  
"Yes you idiot, can't you tell." Sal's face shot to Jet's and Jet just stared. He looked at the lumpy mass of black tangles a top the head of his bounty and figured it could be a bad perm job. Then down to the large unibrow, the slits for eyes, the large broken nose and the big lips and cocked his head to the side.  
  
"Uh, well," he began as he stood up. "Sorry, I guess." Jet grimaced and brought his gun up. "That doesn't change the fact that I'm taking you in. And that you deserved to be hit."  
  
"I know, I just wanted to be noticed." Sal said as he, or she, or whatever the hell, it stood up. "I hate never being noticed."  
  
"Yeah," Jet hunched down and helped the woman in the red devil suit to her feet. "I hear ya sister." Jet then placed the handcuffs on Sal's wrists, placed his gun in his holster, and bent down to pick up the pitchfork. "Where did you get this anyway?"  
  
"Internet." Sal said as Jet nodded and led her down the stairs.  
  
"Should have guessed." Jet said as the exited the roof.  
  
**2 and a half hours later  
  
Why exactly did Ed have control the Bebop? Why did she have to move it all around so that he could never find his own damn ship? Jet cracked his neck from his seat in the Hammerhead, utterly glad to leave the world of Satan Sal far, far away. It was late now, having spent an hour at ISSP trying to convince them that the person he brought in was in fact Satan Sal. Apparently they didn't believe that the still quivering and sobbing lump of red sitting on the bench was the notorious criminal that they had so much trouble getting. Well, screw them. Jet walked out of the headquarters carrying his new lucky walking stick, which just happened to be a nice black pitchfork.  
  
Beep.  
  
The proximity alert went off and Jet smiled at the sight of the Bebop. He felt some of the dried blood on his chin crack a bit as he smiled, and felt the large gash open up again. His ass was sore from the fall down the stairs, his mouth was sore from the hit he took, and he was covered in red spray paint. He hoped to all that was good and right with the world that Spike and Faye weren't back yet.  
  
He docked his ship and nearly fell out of it, jarring his already sore back. He grabbed the pitchfork and used it as a sort of cane, feeling very old all of a sudden. He clamped a tight hand on to the wall for support, leaning the pitchfork on the wall beside him. He felt the trickle of blood go down from his mouth and entwine itself in his sweat drenched beard. He ran his cool metal hand down his hot face and then put it to his shirt, he grimaced and pulled away the now crimson covered hand. If those two were back, and they so much as raised an eyebrow at him, he was going to impale them on his pitch fork.  
  
"Bark."  
  
More to come soon, we've still got two days to go. Enjoy! 


	3. Chapter 3: Faye and Ed's Big Score

A Day Like Any Other  
  
Chapter 3: Faye and Ed's Big Score  
  
"Wait, you want to what?" Faye said jumping up from her perch on the staircase behind the sofa.  
  
"Split-up." Jet said firmly, the smile already forming on his face. "If we split-up we bring in three different bounties instead of one. It's like triple the profit."  
  
"That's interesting." Spike said from the sofa. He placed his cigarette in his mouth and took a long drag, his hand then went back to its comfortable place behind his head.  
  
"I think it's insane." Faye practically yelled her hands going to her hips as she yelled at the two smirking men. She scrambled down the stair case and went to stand where they could see how pissed off she was. Like it would matter.  
  
"Insane!" Ed yelled back and then mimicked Faye's position. Faye's eyebrow twitched as she looked from Ed back to the still smug and smiling Jet.  
  
"What if we need back up?" Faye said removing her hands from her hips, hoping to appeal to their sense of camaraderie. She ignored the amused raised eyebrows from both men and continued. "I joined this crew for the back up." Liar.  
  
"Technically you didn't join," Spike began pointing his cigarette at her as he smirked. "We let you stay."  
  
Faye's eye twitched.  
  
"And you stayed to hide from debt collectors." Jet added as he crossed his arms over his chest and exchanged a smirk with Spike.  
  
So much for appealing to their sense of camaraderie. Faye rolled her eyes and stole a cigarette from Spike's almost empty pack on the table, as she sat down. "Same difference," She muttered as she lit the cigarette.  
  
Ed sat down on the table and looked at Faye and Faye rolled her eyes to the floor. Well, if they did split-up, she'd absolutely catch the bounty, with out the worry of Spike screwing it up. A bit of a smile began to snake on to her face. Plus that, and there was no reason why she would have to give Spike or Jet any of the money she made. The smile had turned into a very familiar grin, speaking of nothing but sneaky intentions. Why should she try to hide it, if they didn't have her figured out by now, it was their own fault.  
  
"All right," Faye said sticking the cigarette into her mouth. "We split- up." Faye smiled widely at the two gentlemen and both rolled their eyes.  
  
"Ed wants to split too." Ed said from her seat on the table. She spun around to look at Jet, and put her hands on to her hips from where she sat. "Ed is part of the crew, and wants to split too."  
  
"Too late." Faye muttered as she stood up.  
  
Spike chuckled, "Way too late." Faye turned and smirked at him, and watched his eyebrow raise at Ed. "But it does bring up an interesting question. Who gets to watch Ed?"  
  
Spike looked up to Faye, her eyes as wide as his. Soon, both of their mouths moved into a sly little smirk and they quickly threw their locked gazes to Jet.  
  
"Oh no." Jet's hands went up to the sky, and he shook his head. "Not this time. I---" he cut off whatever he was going to say when he looked at Ed's happy and expectant face. "No way."  
  
"But she listens to you." Faye said completely serious, with only a bit of a whine.  
  
"And she's weird," Spike mumbled putting out his cigarette as he leaned forward. "But she listens to you. And you know my thing with kids."  
  
"You have a thing with everything." Jet said narrowing his eyes.  
  
"I'm fickle." Spike shrugged and smirked at his friend.  
  
"You're crazy," Faye said sitting on the arm of the sofa. "But that's beside the point." Faye pulled out a deck of cards from the pocket in her red sweater, and watched as Spike and Jet's eyes widened. She smiled as she shuffled them. "I've got an idea, we'll draw for it. High card wins." She looked to Ed. "Well, never mind. High card gets Ed."  
  
She looked at the two men in turn and watched their somber expressions change to ones of pure amusement. Then the ship was filled with nothing but laughter, and Faye's eye was twitching beyond control. It was amazing to think that her eye never twitched before, now it was practically a daily thing.  
  
"Like we're going to trust one of your decks." Spike said chuckling.  
  
"Fine." Faye snarled. "We'll use one of yours."  
  
"I've got a better idea," Jet said grabbing a few extra wires from the small tool box by his feet. "We'll draw wires. Long one," he smirked, "wins."  
  
Faye's eyes lit up and she leaned forward, completely missing the look exchanged between her two crew mates. Jet held out the bundle of wires to Faye and smiled as she picked one. The eye twitching was very intense at that moment, and the scream that followed knocked everyone over.  
  
**two days later  
  
Faye sat in the hangar bay, her fingers drumming on the open hatch of the Redtail. She'd been set up. Set up by her crewmates, her supposed comrades, her supposed friends. She'd be damned if she was going to give them any money now.  
  
"Where the hell is that brat?" She mumbled to herself. "Ed!!!" she bellowed.  
  
"Why is 'Faye-Faye' so angry?" Spike's utterly amused remark came from the hangar bay floor. Faye rolled her angry gaze to Spike as he passed to his Swordfish II with a large brown grocery bag in his arms.  
  
"Shut up," She said standing up and leaning out of the her ship for better yelling range. Spike merely chuckled as he placed the bag on the floor.  
  
"Ed is ready to go, Faye-Faye." Ed's musical voice scared the shit out of Faye and she slammed back into her seat, barely missing the swinging form of the young girl. Ed cocked her head to the side as she sat on the edge of the open hatch. "Is Faye-Faye all right?"  
  
"Peachy." Faye mumbled putting a hand to her head. "Just get in, Ed. We're leaving."  
  
"Right-o, Faye-Faye." Ed saluted and jumped right on to Faye's lap.  
  
"Get off me!" Faye yelled, only to hear Spike let out a big laugh. Faye's eye twitched a bit more and she pushed Ed to the backseat. "Let's go." She said through clenched teeth. She slammed her finger into the close hatch button and gave the waving Spike a nice salute with her middle finger. As she lowered the finger and flew past Spike, she was pleased to watch Spike get bit in the ankle by Ein. Faye laughed all the way to Ganymede, ignoring the incessant singing of her partner for this bounty.  
  
**4 hours later  
  
"Ed, where are we going?" Faye asked as she placed a cigarette in her mouth and adjusted the red sweater around her arms. Two hours to Ganymede and then two hours of going in circles, Faye was surprisingly calm considering she really wanted to kill someone.  
  
"Edward and Faye-Faye are going to the casino!" Ed yelled at the top of her lungs as she ran up to a light post and swung around it, and looked back at Faye. Faye smiled, and this time it was genuine.  
  
"Did you say casino?" She said taking slow steps towards the still smiling and now nodding Ed. "Why didn't you say that earlier?" Faye put a hand on Ed's shoulder and helped her to the ground and ruffled her crazy red-orange hair. "Let's go. Now are you sure you know the way? We could ask."  
  
"Ed knows the way," Ed said smiling up at Faye. "Trust Edward."  
  
"Right." Faye mumbled lighting the cigarette in her mouth and placing her hands behind her head as she walked.  
  
Ed looked up at Faye as she skipped beside her. It had taken Ed both of the days before they split to find the perfect bounty for Faye and her to go after. Ed knew that it had to be something that Faye would enjoy, and something that would make her happy. Ed smiled now as she looked up at Faye, who was now searching the surrounding city for the casino that she didn't even know the name of. Faye definitely looked happy right now. Ed put her hands in front of her small frame and interlocked her fingers as she smiled, Ed's job was done.  
  
**45 minutes later  
  
"Jet!" Faye yelled as Ed pushed into her back and caused her to almost kiss the comm. screen.  
  
"What?" He snapped back. Faye watched his eyes follow someone beside him and smiled, until he turned his angry glare back to Faye.  
  
"I don't deserve this." She said as Ed pulled back on her hair. The damn casino was a circus, literally. Ed's casino was a circus and she was after a damn clown burglar that was worth 50 million Woolongs. Sure 50 million was a good price for a clown but still; to be put through this torture was too much. Ed squealed as she ran around the table chasing another small child carrying balloons.  
  
"Ed wants a balloon!" Ed yelled as she went. Faye rolled her eyes and looked back to Jet's still angry face.  
  
"I'm never going to catch anything with---"  
  
Jet disconnected. That bastard disconnected. Faye's eye began to twitch very fast and she was about ready to pop when Ed rammed a large orange balloon into her face.  
  
"Here, Ed got Faye-Faye a balloon." Ed then proceeded to tie the balloon to Faye's left wrist.  
  
"Hey, what are you doing?" Faye said bringing her hand away from the crazed child before her. Much to Faye's dismay Ed had tied the balloon, with the extremely long rope cord, to her arm by wrapping it up her lower arm and then tied it at the wrist.  
  
"Ed got Faye-Faye a present." Ed said sitting on the table. Ed's eyes were then caught by a clown that walked by, Faye saw the clown and knew it wasn't the guy they were after, but Ed liked to check them all. Ed bounced off the table and ran after the clown. After pulling down his pants, the clown looked down at Ed and screamed as he ran away. Faye shrugged, Ed had a reputation in the Circ de' Casino now, and she wasn't ever going to get away from it.  
  
The Circ de' Casino had clowns for dealers, and ringmasters for bouncers. Which didn't really make much sense, wasn't there usually only one ringmaster and he was the head guy? Faye rolled her eyes as she watched parents dragging their kids from the black jack table. They had slots, black jack, poker, and some pretty large bouncers, everything a good casino needed. You know, except sanity. Faye rolled her eyes and caught the arm of a passing waiter.  
  
"Give me that." Faye said grabbing a full glass of something. The waiter passed and she grabbed another drink before he passed completely. Faye heard another shriek of another passing clown and slammed her head down on the table. Split-up, it will be fun. Jackass.  
  
**3 hours and a lot of clowns later  
  
"Ed does not think that Mr. Giggles is here." Ed said putting her hand son her hips, Faye rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smirk at Ed's body language. The kid was acting just like her.  
  
"You think." Faye mumbled. "You didn't check them all, you want to go back?"  
  
"Faye-Faye, Edward is not stupid." Ed said crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
"Right," Faye said placing her sunglasses on Ed's face. "You aren't. We'll find him."  
  
Ed smiled widely up at Faye through the sunglasses. "Faye-Faye do you like what Ed bought you?" Ed pointed up to the bright orange balloon with the smiley face that was floating between them still tethered to Faye's arm.  
  
"It's great." Faye said sarcastically, rolling her eyes looking up at it. "Helps me to blend in with all the crazies."  
  
"What crazies?" Ed asked as the crossed the street.  
  
"Never mind," Faye said cracking her neck. "Woah!" Faye stopped mid step as she stepped onto the sidewalk. Faye watched as a man in a red body suit and devil horns run out of a building in front of her.  
  
"Ice cream!" Ed yelled as she ran for the small cart. Ed stopped right in front of the strange guy in the red suit, and Faye cocked her head to the side. Huh, that's a woman. Ed poked the woman in the devil suit in the stomach and the woman snapped, and swung a pitchfork at Ed.  
  
"Hey," Faye yelled running towards Ed. "Don't do that." Faye ran at the woman who was now brandishing a can of spray paint and aiming it at Ed. Faye rammed her shoulder into the large woman and knocked them both to the ground. Ed stood completely still and just cocked her head to the side before letting off a big grin.  
  
"Ed wants to play too." Ed then ran at the jumble of Faye and the red suited weirdo and jumped on Faye's stomach. At that point the large woman's fist collided with Faye's cheek sending a rush of pain into her already battered body.  
  
"Damn Ed." She said in a yelp. The big lady was already on her feet and Ed was grinning up at her. The lady then brought out that can of spray paint and Ed made a grab for it. The woman brought the can away and accidentally let off a long spray of red paint at the ice cream cart behind her.  
  
"Shit." The ice cream man said as he jumped out of the way. The cart then went rolling down the hill. "Watch out!" The man that owned the cart yelled as he started down the hill after it.  
  
Faye got to her feet in a rush and pushed Ed behind her as the woman in the red devil suit turned an angry glare on them.  
  
"Hey, come on lady," Faye said smiling a bit. "Why don't you just calm down?"  
  
"Did you say lady?" the woman said, her glare fading and her hand falling to her side. Faye's eye widened a bit and she nodded slowly. "You said lady. You called me a lady." The woman's eyes began to tear up then and Faye began to panic.  
  
"What? No don't do that." Faye started waving her hands at the strange woman. Then she felt Ed pulling on her sweater. "Huh?"  
  
"Mr. Giggles!" Ed yelled and then made a mad dash after the man in a clown suit. "Ed found him and Ed will get him."  
  
"Ed. Wait!" Faye gave a look back to the red suited woman before she began running. She almost stopped when she saw the blur of red run towards a hotel followed closely by a large man in a black jacket, that looked oddly familiar. "Nah." She shook her head and ran after Ed who had entered the park.  
  
"Faye-Faye." Ed yelled from a jungle gym.  
  
"Where did he go?" Faye said stopping in her tracks, thankful that she didn't pull her gun.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Ed." Faye's eye twitched. "Mr. Giggles, remember."  
  
"Oh, Mr. Giggles ran into there," Ed pointed a finger to a strip club. Faye did a double take, at the sight before her. A strip club right beside a park? She shook her head. Well the casino was right up the street so it does fit, kind of. "Ed can't go in there, that's what Spike-person says."  
  
Faye spun back to Ed with a happy little smirk on her face. "Oh really? Spike go into these things often when you're with him?"  
  
Ed nodded, and then smiled wide. "Spike-person likes the music."  
  
"I'm sure." Faye said grabbing Ed and heading towards the Strings and Lace Strip Club. "You can come in with me, Ed. And you're going to tell me all about Spike's little strip club trips later on."  
  
"Ok, Faye-Faye." Ed smiled and let Faye drag her to the strip club.  
  
**1 hour later  
  
"Touch me again, and I'll make you regret it. And I swear to God if I hear that 'nice balloons' comment from anyone else I'm ready to kill you all." Faye said as she slammed the barrel of her gun into the groin of the man next to her at the bar. "Now, I'm looking for Mr. Giggles, where might I find him?"  
  
"Mr. Giggles," the guy said backing up. "Why would you want a clown when you could have a guy like me?"  
  
Faye's eye twitched and she leveled her gun at the man's head. "Just tell me."  
  
"Ed is blind!" Ed yelled from beside Faye. Faye looked at the child beside her from the corner of her eye. Ed didn't really understand why she had to have the towel wrapped around her eyes, but it was fun. Ed's hands went out wildly as she groped out for Faye.  
  
"Quiet, Ed." Faye said changing her gaze back to the man in front of her. Her eyes narrowed and rolled at the balloon on her wrist that was currently bobbing up and down with the music in the club. In here it's all smiles, lace, and sex. Faye repressed the snarl. "Where's the clown."  
  
"Not really a place to bring your kid." The guy said grimacing.  
  
"She's not mine. I'm just taking care of her for the day." Faye said smiling.  
  
"Well, you're doing a---"  
  
Faye raised her gun to the man's nose and gave him a look that said 'go on'.  
  
"Great job." He squeaked out.  
  
"Do I know you?" Faye said narrowing her eyes. She stared at the snake tattoo running up the man's neck and it clicked. She raised the gun again and smiled. "I do know you. I've seen you on TV."  
  
"Oh yeah?" The guy said as he began to sweat and search around the strip club frantically.  
  
"Uh huh." Faye stood up. "You're worth what, 25 million, that's a nice fee for a scum bag like you."  
  
"Shit." He then turned to run, but Faye slammed the butt of her gun into the back of his head. The man went down in a heap and Faye slapped the cuffs on him.  
  
"You said it." She said smiling, even though the balloon was now entangling itself in her sweater.  
  
"Faye-Faye caught a bounty." Ed said peeking through the towel. "But that's not Mr. Giggles." Faye's eye twitched as she looked up at Ed. "Mr. Giggles is over there." Ed pointed and Faye jumped to her feet dragging the unconscious bounty she just got.  
  
"What?" She yelled. "Where?" Ed pointed again, and Faye growled at the man in the clown suit sitting there ogling the women dancing on his table. "How the hell do you miss a man in a clown suit?" She mumbled. "Come on." Faye said dragging the unconscious scum bag along with her.  
  
Ed bounced off the chair and followed Faye closely at her heels. It was quite the sight really. Faye dragging a slightly moaning man by his handcuffed hands as she stalked towards a man in a clown suit, meanwhile from her other hand she held her gun and a bright orange balloon with a smiley face on it bobbed frantically. Yep, it was quite the odd little sight. Ed was proud.  
  
"Yo, Giggle-pants." Faye yelled, too damned tired to actually try and use any finesse for this capture. Mr. Giggles looked up at her, his bright red nose and painted on smile freaked her out. Faye held up her gun, annoyed at the damn balloon that floated in front of her shot for a second before raising completely.  
  
"Oh, shit." Mr. Giggles yelled as he made a run for the back door.  
  
"Bingo, clown boy." Faye said as she fired her gun. She shot him in the leg, and strangely the air that must have been ballooning the pants out, popped and Giggles shot out of that room like a rocket. "You've got to be kidding me." Faye ran out of the room after her now jet-propelled bounty, still dragging the man in cuffs along with her. She made it into a private booth were a woman was dancing completely naked for a few other men. Unfortunately for that young woman, with the breasts that just screamed surgical enhancement, she was now flat on her ass with an unconscious clown on top of her.  
  
"That lady has balloons too." Ed said pointing. Faye let out a large laugh and moved her hand to pull the towel that was now sitting on Ed's head down over her eyes. She then set down the one bounty and placed another set of cuffs on the next one. Ok, so maybe splitting up wasn't such a bad idea.  
  
**1 hour later  
  
Ed ran out of the hangar bay of the Bebop leaving Faye to slowly exit her Redtail on her own. Faye let out a huff of breath, still having a bit of the happy left over from her 75 million Woolong pay off for the two bounties she brought in. Hell, Faye had been feeling so good she even dished out some money for Ed to have some ice cream. Little did Faye know that buy 'some' that meant eight cones. Ed was finishing up number eight when Faye slumped her tired body against the door frame of the common room.  
  
"Thank you for the ice cream, Faye-Faye," Ed said as she slammed the cone into her mouth for another large lick. Chocolate covered every inch of the young girl's shirt and face, but what did Faye care, at least she wasn't chasing around clowns anymore.  
  
Faye smiled very slightly as she walked the rest of the way into the common room, flinging her boots as she went. One landed across the room by the window while the other skidded under the table. She moaned at the cool metal under her aching feet. She tossed her red sweater over the back of the sofa. She was the first one back; at least that's what she figured with both the Hammerhead and Swordfish II still gone. Faye sat on the edge of the dingy vinyl sofa and stared at her sore and welt covered left arm through the tinted shades on her face.  
  
The balloon had dislodged itself happily when she exited the Redtail, leaving behind the red welts from the rope that was tied a bit too tight. Damn kid. Faye looked up to find Edward cocking a contemplative head at her. At least Faye thought it was contemplative, but who the hell knew with this kid.  
  
"Faye-Faye is hurt." Ed smiled widely and at that point Faye almost had a heart attack. What the hell was this kid thinking? "Ed will fix Faye- Faye." Ed bounced off the table dropping her last ice cream cone on the floor, and out of the room the room, leaving a wide eyed Faye to stare after her.  
  
"Uh---" Faye stuttered out, and finally she just closed her eyes and put a hand to her pounding head. She'd taken something for the headache from the punch to the face, it was a good something too. Liquid form, burned all the way down. It was nice. Faye put her head back on the sofa and smiled at the thought of her 'medicine'. She needed more, right after she got some----  
  
"AHHHHH!!!" Faye screamed as Edward began winding a large amount of gauze around Faye's wounded arm. "What the hell are you doing?"  
  
"Fixing Faye-Faye, just like Jet-person would." Ed layered the gauze around Faye's arm from up past her elbow down to her fingertips. Then Ed brandished a marker and drew smiley faces all over it. Faye's eye was twitching out of control by this point and she couldn't even move.  
  
"Why are you doing that?" Faye asked as Ed finished her last smiley face on the bandage.  
  
"Ed is marking her work so Jet-person will know that she did it." Ed said in a matter of fact tone as she threw the marker aside and bounced onto the table again to admire her work from afar.  
  
"Of course." Faye said nodding her head. "Thanks Ed." She said slowly. Faye then reached up and grabbed the old brown blanket that was laid over the top of the sofa, moved the small pillow under her head and closed her eyes.  
  
The last thing she heard before she fell asleep was the hangar bay door opening, and a couple minutes later what sounded like two gun shots. Gun shots? Nah.  
  
AN: Next Chapter Spike Spiegel and His 'Dog Thing' 


End file.
